


Regret Over the Wash

by Jathis



Category: Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Genre: Fluff, Genderfluid Character, Kissing, M/M, Moving On, Regret, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-26 15:48:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21376612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jathis/pseuds/Jathis
Summary: Belle’s new invention brings back memories
Relationships: LeFou & Stanley (Disney: Beauty and the Beast), LeFou/Stanley (Disney: Beauty and the Beast)
Kudos: 1





	Regret Over the Wash

He found his spouse sitting on the steps that led to the back of the castle and the gardens. They sat hugging their knees, staring at seemingly nothing in particular. Lefou tilted his head, walking over to sit beside them. “What are you doing, cher et cherie?”

“Bisou is helping the princess with the laundry.”

“...Bisou...your mare..?” Stanley pointed with their chin and Lefou followed where they indicated. An odd looking attachment had been placed over the castle’s well. There were ropes and a pulley system attached to a large open mouthed barrel, keeping it steady and on the rim. Bisou was harnessed to the barrel, lazily walking around the well in a circle, rolling it along with her. Lefou could see white suds and bubbles inside of the barrel.

“That’s...weird…” he said, frowning a little to himself.

“That’s her second one.”

Lefou blinked, looking over at Stanley. “Hm?”

Stanley was looking down at their shoes as if they held the answer to everything. “She made one before. Back in the village where the women did the washing; she made one using Monsieur Potts’ donkey.”

“I don’t remember seeing anything like that…”

“...that’s because I broke it.”

“What?” Lefou winced at the expression on Stanley’s face, placing a hand on their shoulder and rubbing. “Stanley?”

“She was caught teaching a little girl to read and the headmaster was furious and said she was causing problems...Tom, Dick, and I threw her clothes into the dirt and broke the barrel and cut the ropes.”

Lefou blinked, thinking back. He perked up when he remembered going with Gaston to talk to Belle by the washing area. “That’s what happened! I always wondered what was going on before we arrived! Gaston knew it had something to do with Belle being weird…”

“Non, it was just us being cruel for no reason,” Stanley mournfully corrected him. “She wasn’t hurting anyone. I don’t know why we broke her invention.”

He could see the misery on Stanley’s face. Lefou rubbed their back in a slow circle, humming a little. “It’s in the past now,” he reminded them.

“ I know but…”

“Non, no buts! It’s obvious she doesn’t hold our past transgressions towards her against us so we shouldn’t either,” Lefou said. “We are not like those monks who whip themselves bloody at night.” He reached up as a single lock of hair slipped from one of Stanley’s curls, tucking it behind their ear. 

He kissed them on the temple, smiling when he saw a flicker of a smile. He then kissed Stanley’s brow, cupping their face in both hands as Stanley started to laugh and tried to escape. “I’m not finished with my kisses! I have to finish or I’ll die from lack of kissing my beautiful spouse!”

“We cannot have that, can we?” Stanley laughed. They kissed Lefou on the lips, happily nuzzling against their cheek, foreheads pressed together. “Merci, Lefou. You always know what to say to make me feel better,” they said.

Lefou smiled, standing up and holding out a hand to help Stanley to their feet. “Come on, we’ll hang her clothes up to dry for her,” he said.

Stanley nodded, following after him.


End file.
